Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Just a quick White Wednesday hello before I get back to working on my Farm Chicks projects. Isabel and I walked today and we both can’t believe how fast it’s coming up. So much we want to still do/work on, so little time. Oh well, we are both super excited with what we have accomplished. If you are coming to Farm Chicks, leave me a comment on this post so I will make sure to look out for you. One of the things Isabel and I want to do at Farm Chicks this year (besides sell lots of goodies) is to meet lots of new people/kindred spirits.

Okay, here are some White Wednesday pics for you.

Sweet baby dresses with embroidery.

Gorgeous detail on this lovely vintage slip.

Pair of monogrammed pillow cases.

The sweetest dotted Swiss girl’s dress.

A collection of wrap around bracelets/napkin rings.

Lots of vintage white buttons. Love them! And finally,

A pair of vintage bed side tables (formerly an old vanity). These cuties will be making their debut at Farm Chicks along with another pair that I’m still working on.

That’s it for now. I’ll be back soon with some more completed Farm Chicks projects. Have a fun Tuesday!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A few weeks ago I was able to convince my husband that we needed to make a trip to IKEA to purchase a new sofa. Ever since I saw the Ektorp sectional sofa that Melaine had, I just knew that I had to have it too. I made a special trip to IKEA just to sit on the sofa and make sure it was “the one.” Let me back up and say that while I love to shop for vintage goodies, shopping for sofas, is not my idea of fun. I was thrilled with the size, shape, and fabric on my soon to be new sofa.

Since this sofa was a sectional and much larger than our old sofa, we actually ended up renting a U-Haul to go pick it up. I have to say that buying that sofa at IKEA, getting it home and set up was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Loved it in it’s new spot. Only problem was that my coffee table which I loved, wasn’t working with this new sofa. It was long and rectangle shaped. I thought a round coffee table would be perfect and I had an idea in mind. I found a oak pedestal table on craigslist for $35.00. It looked something like this. (Sorry for the blurry pic.)

I had my hubby cut down the base and then I reattached the top, painted the base and the apron cream, gave it a little distressing, sanded and re-stained the top and voila. The perfect coffee table. I couldn’t be happier with it.

Here’s what the old sofa and coffee table looked like.

And now the new and improved sofa and coffee table.

Didn’t get the best pictures, but you get the idea. I am slowly making changes to my living room. First the sofa, then the coffee table. Next the drapes, and I want to find a cool sofa table/cabinet for behind the sofa.

Today was a crazy day filled with sewing and painting projects. Only two weeks until Farm Chicks so now the pressure is on, but I’m having fun. I’ll be back soon with some more completed projects. Hope you are having a fun weekend. We are having crazy weather here in the PNW and it has been a challenge getting my painting projects done in between rain showers.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

With less than three weeks until Farm Chicks, I’m starting to feel the pressure of having too many unfinished projects. So, what do I do? Go shopping. Not only did I find some good thrifty finds, I found more project pieces too. Ugh! Why?!

Here is just a sample of some of the things I have found over the last week.

As you can probably tell, the little wood bench is going to get a new paint treatment. This lovely dresser only needed a little sanding. I just love the appliqué details. Here’s a close up.

I also got two new (old) vanities that will become end tables and am working on painting a cute dresser that’s been hanging out in my garage awhile. Some, but not all of these items will end up at Farm Chicks. Some will end up at my mall booths. Deciding what will go where is definitely a challenge.

I have lots of other goodies that I have been saving for Farm Chicks, such as a huge clothing rack packed full with vintage slips, crinolines, nightgowns, baby dresses, etc. Also bringing lots of bling, buttons, and other miscellaneous trinkets to craft with. If you are on the fence about whether to come to the show, I say, go for it. I promise you won’t regret it. Timi even still has a couple seats available on her junk bus.

On my last post I shared that I am working on a project just for me. I hope to have that completed to share on my next post. Until then I hope you are all having a lovely week!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I first met Leah last year at Laurie’s Christmas Cookie Exchange. She was cute and silly, (my kind of gal) and I liked her right away. When I found out that she would be coming to Tiffany’s Dream Girls Weekend, I was super excited to spend some time getting to know her better, but it wasn’t to be. Leah got sick at the last minute and wasn’t able to make it.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when Isabel had her flower craft day. Leah came and I had so much fun getting to know her. She was the same nutty girl I remembered. She had told us that she just recently moved into her new house and Isabel and I offered to come over and help her unpack boxes, etc. So, on Tuesday of this week we both went over to Leah’s adorable cottage along with Lara, Robin, Julie, Natalie and Cindy. Even Joe made an appearance. Instead of having us help her unpack, she decided to have a craft day with lunch. As soon as I arrived I was summoned upstairs where the girls were trying on some of Leah’s fabulous creations. Did I mention that she is an amazing clothing designer? Gorgeous clothes were quickly being tossed to me to try on. What fun we had playing dress-up!

After that we got the grand tour of Chez Leah. All I can say is WOW! Her house is amazing! I could totally see Rachel Ashwell moving in and she wouldn’t change a thing. I tried to take some pictures with my sad little camera. Isabel took some great one’s and you can check them out here. Even though my pictures don’t do Leah’s home justice, they will have to do. Here goes!

I kept telling Leah that I absolutely loved her home and I could easily move right in, no problem. I have to say, not a lot of crafting got accomplished, but I did manage to put together a few charms. They still need to be soldered, but I will get to that on another day.

So, did you catch that gorgeous painting of the cow over the fireplace mantle? Did I mention that Leah is a fabulous painter? Clothing Designer, Painter, Awesome Decorator and General Contractor. The list of her talents goes on and on. Most importantly though, Leah is just a total sweetheart. She has a way of making everyone feel special and welcome. I feel like I have known her for years and Jeanne, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry, but I think I have a new girl crush. (Don’t worry, I still love you too!)

Thank you so much Leah for inviting us into your uber fabulous abode. It is stunning! I was telling my friend, Mitzi all about it and I said to her that if you weren’t so nice, I would have to hate you for having such a fabulous house and such gorgeous collections. Just kidding!

The weather has been gorgeous the last couple days and it’s suppose to last awhile. I did a little thrifting this week so I will have to show you a few goodies I found. Also, I am just starting to work on a new project. This one is just for me. I’ll be back soon to share it with you all.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

It’s no secret that a junker like me would absolutely love the show American Pickers. I was sad to see the season come to an end, but excited that they will be back for another one.

This morning I decided to take a long walk which is nothing unusual as I try to walk three to four days a week for about an hour each time. It was such a gorgeous morning weatherwise, I thought it would be fun to take a walk just outside the neighborhoods along some of our country roads. Walking past this really junky house, I spotted a truck with a trailer attached with what appeared to be scrap metal in the back. Perched on top of the pile was a cute little rusty metal chair.

As my good luck would have it the owner of the truck and trailer was outside and I sweetly asked if I could have the little chair on top of his pile. He informed me that it was an old child’s booster chair and that I could take it. I thanked him and told him that it would be great holding a plant. So here is my little picking treasure.

It would also be adorable on a buffet table holding plates. Not sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but it sure is cute! Would have been great at the Barn House last weekend.

Speaking of Barn House, I borrowed a picture from Silvi’s blog that she had taken of my “old wood thing” before it was sold.

How cute it was holding canning jars of vintage silverware. I just knew Joe would do something cool with it.

Heading out this morning for another crafting day. This time at Leah’s house. I got my soldering supplies all packed and ready to go. I’ve been wanting to make some more charms to take to Farm Chicks so today will be the perfect time to do it. Hope you all have a fun Tuesday!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Yesterday was gorgeous here in the PNW. Isabel and I, along with my Mom headed out bright and early to the Barn House season opener. I had been out on Thursday to drop off a few of my things for the sale, so I already had an idea of how fabulous it was going to be. We got there just before 9am and it was already packed with hungry shoppers.

Everyone’s spaces were just gorgeous. So much to see, I had to go around several times. The hold pile behind the check out area just kept getting bigger and bigger with everyone’s finds. I was pleased to see a few of my sale items there too, including the little crinoline lamp from my last post and this cool old cabinet I recently found on craigslist which was described as “old wood thing.”

It sold so fast, I didn’t even get to see where in the barn it had landed. Isabel told me that my shopping cart (from the last post) had sold too, so I was quite pleased. The line to pay was a little long, but no worries, we just decided to head down the road to the Vintage Gatherings sale. Lots of goodies there too. I got to meet the adorable Shellagh from Ticking and Toile and Annette from Andy’s Attic. Here’s a picture of Annette and the always sweet Florence.

I bought a bunch of cool buttons, and this sweet vintage dress and hat at this sale. Isabel and my Mom both found lots of treasures too. This is my Mom and me posing at the Vintage Gathering sale.

Back to Barn House we went to pay for our purchases. I was debating on a really cute dresser, Randy from Madison Park had for sale in his space, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I did however end up purchasing this little vintage gate from Sue of Bella Shabby. I love it and have the perfect place for it. I’ll have to show you when it is in it’s new home.

Here are Isabel and me getting ready to leave Barn House.

That’s the only picture I got there, but Isabel took a bunch as well as a lot of other bloggers that were there. We could have stayed longer at Barn House, but we wanted to check out the garden sale that was going on in the city of Camas. Our buddy, Julie was there selling her cool stuff and it gave us a chance to check out the goodies at Camas Antiques where I found a couple vintage slips I just had to have. Have I ever mentioned my addiction to vintage slips? Love them!

After that we were all pretty tired so we headed home after a long and fun day.

Today being Mother’s Day and all, I was able to convince my family that we needed to take a trip to Corvallis to visit my alma mater, Oregon State University. Again, another gorgeous day and the fact that we made a few stops at thrift stores along the way wasn’t so bad either. Lunch at our favorite, Woodstock’s Pizza, and a nice long stroll around campus were the icing on the cake. Here’s a picture of my three most favorite people in the whole wide world.

Aren’t they all adorable? I’m crazy in love with these guys. And since my sweet hubby and I hardly ever get pictures together, here is the best of the bunch my daughter took of us.

After 23 years together (almost 19 of them married), we are still so much in love! He is the best hubby a girl could have.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten a little mushy on you, and this post has gotten a little long, I’ll end it here. I hope you all had a truly wonderful weekend too.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A little evening White Wednesday post for you. I’ve been busy today gathering a few things to take to Barn House for the big season opener this Saturday. One thing I’ll be taking is one of my vintage shopping carts with a custom liner. Instead of my usual florals, I went with a neutral theme this time using canvas drop cloths and vintage lace. I think it turned out very sweet. What do you think?

Here’s another White Wednesday project. This was a craigslist find that I’ve been working on for awhile. I forgot to take a before picture, but it was kind of yucky. I did see some potential and gave the base a few coats of white paint and sanded and scrubbed (and sanded some more) the top. It’s really old, thick wood, that has lots of knots and some drill holes in spots. Oh, did I mention that this was originally a work bench? Once I got the top cleaned up, I gave it a good rub with my favorite stained wax which always makes things look so much better. And voila!

This dude is huge at just under 8 feet long and unfortunately, it is super heavy. But I love how it turned out. The rusty metal drawer pulls are original to the piece. I could totally see this with a big screen tv on top, dvd player or other electronic components in the middle cubby. Or how about a kitchen island or a sofa table with folded quilts in the cubby. So many options. This piece will be making the trip to Farm Chicks with me next month.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Friday, Mitzi and I and Isabel were over at Monticello working hard. Isabel was moving out of our shared space (temporarily) and I was moving out of our space and into a brand new one. Here’s what my empty new space looked like. (Don’t I look attractive? Thanks Mitzi!)

And here’s what it looks like now.

I’m thrilled with the outcome. Moving into this new space really motivated me to work on a few projects, such as, the tall hutch cabinet on the left. That piece has been sitting in my garage for about 5 years. My husband is thrilled that it is finally out of there. It was a craigslist find and I remember the day I bought it. It was pouring down rain and I drove all the way up to Vancouver only to find it sitting outside in the rain. I don’t know how I managed to maneuver that giant cabinet into my car, but I did, all by myself. Anyway, the little pink dresser next to it is a new estate sale find that needed only a little cleaning. Love that it was already pink.

The aqua dresser was something I bought two years ago at the Oregon City Antique Faire. It too has been sitting in my garage and all it needed was a little sanding and cleaning and now, it is a super cool piece. Another new item is the cute little picket shelf on the right. I found that a few weeks ago and gave it a new paint job. I think my favorite thing in my booth is something that isn’t even for sale. The picket fence on the wall was something I found recently while out walking. It was lying in a pile along with a couple other pieces of fencing in someone’s yard. I simply knocked on the door and asked if they would like to get rid of them and they said, yes, take them away! Yeah! See, it never hurts to ask. I think it really makes my booth and I love the little sign that Natasha made for me hanging on it too.

It was a four day weekend for my kids and I can’t tell you how glad I am to have them back to school. I feel like I spent the last four days playing chauffer. I did manage to squeeze a little thrifting in, however, with a trip to a few thrift stores, an estate sale, a couple garage sales and my favorite monthly flea market. Here are just some of my purchases.

Love this trunk. It’s in great shape and has the cutest little wheels on it. Vintage doll beds are hard to resist and I adore this cute metal one.

I also got a few linens, an adorable crocheted child’s apron with the sweetest pink ribbon, some rhinestone pins, lovely glass and rhinestone buttons, a vintage calling card and vintage millinery flowers.

In case you are one of the few people who haven’t heard, these awesome guys are having their season opener this weekend and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited.

Their vendor line up is amazing. So much talent in one barn, I can hardly stand it. And to make it ever better, I’ll be bringing a few things to add to the mix. I am truly honored to be included in this special event. If you are anywhere in the Northwest Oregon or Southwest Washington area, this is a must not miss event. If you have never been to one of the Barn House sales, I promise, you are in for a wonderful treat.

On a final note, I can now add “electrician” to my resume as I successfully rewired the lamp in my last post. I also added a cute little baby crinoline to the shade. You likey? I do!